About the Ag Economy Barometer

James Mintert, David Widmar and Michael Langemeier The Purdue/CME Group’s June survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers indicates producers feel their farm operations’ financial positions are stronger now than a year ago (Figure 1). This shift in producers’ perspective is one reason why the Ag Economy Barometer’s June reading of 131 was virtually unchanged from a month earlier (Figure 2). The Ag Economy Barometer, a producer-based sentiment index, has held steady for three months in a row and remains well above levels recorded prior to November 2016. The shift in producers’ perspectives regarding their financial positions is part of a…

Jim Mintert, David Widmar, Michael Langemeier Agricultural producers’ sentiment was unchanged in May from a month earlier. The latest reading of the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer – which is based on a monthly survey of 400 agricultural producers from across the country – was 130 (Figure 1). The producer sentiment index has hovered near 130 for five of the last six months and remains considerably stronger than both last fall and a year ago.     While the broad measure of agricultural producer sentiment was unchanged in May compared to April, the Ag Economy Barometer’s two sub-indices diverged in…

By Jim Mintert, David Widmar and Michael Langemeier Producer sentiment inched higher during April as the Ag Economy Barometer increased to 130. The latest result for the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer, which is based on a monthly survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers, was slightly higher than March’s 124 reading, but still well below January’s peak of 153 (Figure 1). When compared to a year earlier, sentiment among producers was much improved, up 23 percent in April 2017 from the April 2016 reading of 106. More broadly, agricultural producers’ sentiment since December 2016 has been notably more positive than…